Uptick seen in community marketplaces

Sam Reyes, of Jacksonvile, sets up his tent and starts laying out items for sale at the Flea Market on U.S. 258 in Jacksonville on Saturday morning.

John Sudbrink/The Daily News

By MATTHEW ADKINS - Daily News Staff

Published: Saturday, March 29, 2014 at 10:42 AM.

Large vendor markets may seem outmoded in today’s age of e-commerce websites; however, a grassroots push to return to traditional means of distribution is gaining traction in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.

At the forefront of the movement in Jacksonville is Charlene Harvey-Fausset, owner of Twice as Nice Flea Market at 3060 Wilmington Highway. Harvey-Fausset opened her expansive flea market Feb. 1 in the old McMilan Furniture warehouse after she identified a need for a large, indoor venue in the community.

“I’ve been in the flea market business all my life, so it’s like second nature to me,” Harvey-Fausset said. “I knew the area needed something like this. When I saw this building, I was sure the idea would really take off.”

Twice as Nice Flea Market opened after only a month of preparation and now holds more than 80 rotating vendors who change their inventory daily. The market is open every day of the week and is a one-stop-shop for an array of antiques, collectibles, furniture and household items.

There are currently 130 vendors on the waiting list to display their wares, a number which Harvey-Fausset did not predict would climb so quickly.

“We have been very busy, way beyond my expectations,” Harvey-Fausset said. “There is a lot of merchandise going out of here and our vendor list is growing daily.”

Five miles to the north in a parking lot at 2925 Richlands Highway is an older, unnamed flea market that has been in operation every weekend for years. For many customers, being able to physically connect with a product before purchasing it is also a very important aspect of shopping.

“People start arriving at the break of dawn and they will stay out there all day talking to each other and looking at each other’s stuff,” said a representative of the flea market, Tom Pollard. “There is always a very eclectic mix of items and individuals there,”

For regular patron Cliff Tamano, it is the thrilling sense of serendipity when he discovers a hidden treasure that keeps him coming back.

“My mother always said I had a sickness for other people’s junk,” Tamano said. “She was right. I can’t help but leave here every time with something interesting I’ve found. I’ve always said the best items come to you when you aren’t looking for them.”

The Cedar Point community is also making waves in the local marketplace movement with the opening of Salty Air Market at 307 Cedar Point Blvd. Owned by Becky Humphrey and run by Jeffrey Miller and Mary Cloninger, the Salty Air Market is open seven days a week and is quickly becoming a haven for area crafters and agricultural producers.

“This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” said Humphrey. “It’s not just about selling things; it’s also a good community builder. I feel like we are paying it forward by allowing other people to be right here on Highway 24.”

The Salty Air Market differs from a normal flea market in that vendor spaces are limited to only local artisans and farmers. Anchoring the location is the Salty Cottage produce stand, which is stocked mostly with vegetables and fruit from Aman Family Farms on Belgrade-Swansboro Road in Maysville. Live music is provided on the weekends and tables are arranged so patrons may sit down and relax during their shopping adventure.

“It’s wonderful to see all the artistic people in the area come out of the woodwork,” Humphrey said. “That’s really what we are here for; to help and share with other people.”

The Newport Flea Mall, with more than 400 covered spaces, bills itself as the largest covered flea market east of Raleigh. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For additional questions or information about becoming a vendor at Twice as Nice Flea Market, call 910-346-1725; for the open Jacksonville Market, call 910-455-5552; and for Salty Air Market, call 910-545-0643.

Matthew Adkins is the business reporter at The Daily News and may be contacted at 910-219-8467 or matthew.adkins@jdnews.com. For online subscription information, click here

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Large vendor markets may seem outmoded in today’s age of e-commerce websites; however, a grassroots push to return to traditional means of distribution is gaining traction in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.

At the forefront of the movement in Jacksonville is Charlene Harvey-Fausset, owner of Twice as Nice Flea Market at 3060 Wilmington Highway. Harvey-Fausset opened her expansive flea market Feb. 1 in the old McMilan Furniture warehouse after she identified a need for a large, indoor venue in the community.

“I’ve been in the flea market business all my life, so it’s like second nature to me,” Harvey-Fausset said. “I knew the area needed something like this. When I saw this building, I was sure the idea would really take off.”

Twice as Nice Flea Market opened after only a month of preparation and now holds more than 80 rotating vendors who change their inventory daily. The market is open every day of the week and is a one-stop-shop for an array of antiques, collectibles, furniture and household items.

There are currently 130 vendors on the waiting list to display their wares, a number which Harvey-Fausset did not predict would climb so quickly.

“We have been very busy, way beyond my expectations,” Harvey-Fausset said. “There is a lot of merchandise going out of here and our vendor list is growing daily.”

Five miles to the north in a parking lot at 2925 Richlands Highway is an older, unnamed flea market that has been in operation every weekend for years. For many customers, being able to physically connect with a product before purchasing it is also a very important aspect of shopping.

“People start arriving at the break of dawn and they will stay out there all day talking to each other and looking at each other’s stuff,” said a representative of the flea market, Tom Pollard. “There is always a very eclectic mix of items and individuals there,”

For regular patron Cliff Tamano, it is the thrilling sense of serendipity when he discovers a hidden treasure that keeps him coming back.

“My mother always said I had a sickness for other people’s junk,” Tamano said. “She was right. I can’t help but leave here every time with something interesting I’ve found. I’ve always said the best items come to you when you aren’t looking for them.”

The Cedar Point community is also making waves in the local marketplace movement with the opening of Salty Air Market at 307 Cedar Point Blvd. Owned by Becky Humphrey and run by Jeffrey Miller and Mary Cloninger, the Salty Air Market is open seven days a week and is quickly becoming a haven for area crafters and agricultural producers.

“This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” said Humphrey. “It’s not just about selling things; it’s also a good community builder. I feel like we are paying it forward by allowing other people to be right here on Highway 24.”

The Salty Air Market differs from a normal flea market in that vendor spaces are limited to only local artisans and farmers. Anchoring the location is the Salty Cottage produce stand, which is stocked mostly with vegetables and fruit from Aman Family Farms on Belgrade-Swansboro Road in Maysville. Live music is provided on the weekends and tables are arranged so patrons may sit down and relax during their shopping adventure.

“It’s wonderful to see all the artistic people in the area come out of the woodwork,” Humphrey said. “That’s really what we are here for; to help and share with other people.”

The Newport Flea Mall, with more than 400 covered spaces, bills itself as the largest covered flea market east of Raleigh. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For additional questions or information about becoming a vendor at Twice as Nice Flea Market, call 910-346-1725; for the open Jacksonville Market, call 910-455-5552; and for Salty Air Market, call 910-545-0643.

Matthew Adkins is the business reporter at The Daily News and may be contacted at 910-219-8467 or matthew.adkins@jdnews.com. For online subscription information, click here